Those who do not suffer migraines rarely understand the debilitation involved. A headache can usually be pushed to the back of the consciousness and daily life will continue – if a little uncomfortably. A migraine is a different animal entirely. I’ve suffered them for most of my life. Usually I get the classic migraine; a severe headache down one side of the head accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The cure is to lie down and sleep it off. Certainly there’s medication available and I carry it with me constantly in case of an impending attack, as taking it quickly may stave off an attack or stop it completely. Unfortunately, when an attack is in full swing, the stasis of the stomach means that medication becomes academic.
I’ve learned a lot from the Migraine Action Association. Indeed, it is through them that I discovered Buccastem – a drug taken to inhibit nausea that is taken by placing between the upper lip and gum, thereby overcoming the stomach stasis problem.
This week I was running an IOSH Managing Safely course in Manchester. This being the first time I’ve run the course, I was naturally anxious. Consequently, I slept little the night before and the first day (Monday) was predictably tiring. Tiredness is one of my migraine triggers. I woke at about 04:00 on Tuesday with a splitting headache. The attack was by this time well underway, so I took my tablets and looked in my pouch of medicines for my Buccastem. Unfortunately, I’d left it behind. The consequence of this was several vomiting attacks between then and around 08:30. The second day of the course was due to start at 09:00 and at 08:00 I was still feeling like death. My head was aching (although manageable) but every few minutes I felt like dashing for the toilets as my stomach experienced waves of severe nausea. I missed breakfast and we set out for the training centre. Had I been employed, I’d have just called in sick. As I am self employed, the situation is very different. If I pulled out, not only would I not get paid, but the delegates would have been badly let down. I knew that sooner or later the symptoms would stop. So, it was a matter of getting through it until they did at around 11:00, when like a light switching on I went from nauseous to ravenously hungry.
On reflection, I am reminded that with sufficient motivation, we will push ourselves to the limits of our endurance. If you don’t get migraines, you may not appreciate that statement. If you do get migraines, you’ll understand exactly what I mean. 
Yeah my Ma suffers from them as well and they have always seemed pretty dire. You’re right about the debilitating aspect and the lack of understanding if you don’t get them it is like people who have a bad cold convincing themselves they have flu. I have just had flu’ and I would have taken a cold any day of the week, a headache that burned my skull for 3 days coupled with fevered hallucinations and sweats etc. etc. etc. I heard someone say once that if you don’t feel like going to work then you have a cold, if you genuinely can’t physically get out of bed then you have the flu’.Visit me @ http://redbaron.blog-city.com
I had my first migraine last year and I genuinely thought I was having a brain heamorrhage or something. I had never felt that unwell. I was walking down the main street in town and all of a sudden, the foreground and the background became one. I developed tunnel vision and I felt physically sick. I came straight home and went to bed. I woke up with a heavy feeling in the sides and back of my head. My GP said it had been a migraine. I never realised what was involved with them. Anyone who has them has my sympathies. Terrible things.Visit me @ http://iridescence.blog-city.com/
*haemorrhage.